elevator rides
by daisymeadowss
Summary: gansey learns to ask before assuming the hard way. au.


**fandom:** the raven cycle  
 **summary:** gansey learns to ask before assuming the hard way  
 **genre:** romance **  
rating:** general  
 **prompt:** _we take the same elevator every day and due to a misunderstanding I assumed you didn't speak english and I've been talking to my friend about how hot you are for three weeks and apparently my friend has known from the start but you agreed not to tell me bc you both think its hilarious what the fuck_ requested by onceuponahundred  
 **pairings:** blue/gansey  
 **timeline:** this is (quite obviously) au but they're somewhere in their 20s. originally posted on tumblr.  
 **disclaimer:** i don't own anything.

* * *

This Saturday afternoon Gansey arrives at Adam's apartment building with basic knowledge of the Korean language and hopes of finally being able to talk to Blue. All week long he'd had his nose stuck in one or another language book, or plugged his ear in to listen to instructive audiobooks or surfed the internet on his phone to take educational quizzes and tests. Ronan had called him excessive - not with this word - and obsessed - exactly with this word. Noah had laughed quietly in the corner. Adam had not known what he was doing but he had, too, voiced his opinions about Gansey's infatuation with Blue before.

Gansey, for his part, did not think he was doing anything wrong. He's merely attempting to find a way to communicate with the girl he could not get off his mind for weeks now. Surely, even going as far as to learn a completely new language is a sign of dedication. And it isn't as though Gansey is sluggard or apathetic. He likes knowledge. He enjoys learning new things. It wasn't a trouble for him to learn this.

So here he is, anxiously waiting for the elevator to reach the first floor, looking behind him every now and then to see if Blue would miraculously appear out of nowhere. There's no guarantee, of course, that he'll even see her today - although, it must be mentioned that for the three weeks Adam has lived here and for the dozens of times Gansey has visited him, they did end up riding the same elevator an astoundingly lot. But if she did not show, there was always next week or the week after that and after that. Gansey did not mind waiting. He could polish his Korean in the meantime.

The first time that he saw Blue, he had been there to see Adam's new place with Ronan and Noah just after he moved in and she'd been running to catch the elevator before the doors closed. Gansey, ever gallant, held it for her and she shot him a grateful smile but otherwise did not pause talking on her phone in a language Gansey couldn't understand. He had not even realized he'd been staring until Ronan pointed it out in a low mocking tone. And indeed he had been, although he couldn't quite understand the reason. It wasn't that she was not pretty, rather that Gansey had the distant feeling there was more to his gawking than physical attraction.

Flushing pink under Ronan's knowing gaze, he'd replied, "I was merely admiring her dress," and then immediately regretted that response. All three boys had turned to look at the dress whose owner was still talking on the phone, oblivious to the four boys behind her back, and sounding increasingly angry. There had been a beat of silence and then, -

"It has bees on it," Noah had monotonously pointed out the obvious.

Gansey had shrugged, "It's charming from an objective point of view."

"Her name's Blue," Adam had informed them, although no one had asked. Meanwhile Blue had definitely been arguing with someone. "She lives across the hall from me."

"Well," Ronan had slapped Gansey's shoulder just as Blue had let out a noise of disgust and ended her phone call with one angry movement, "too bad she doesn't speak English. Tough luck, Gansey boy."

And Adam had not corrected him so Gansey had taken this piece of information to be true.

For the next few weeks, whenever Gansey collided with Blue, he couldn't help but subtly admire her. She was always wearing interestingly shaped dresses with intricate designs or self-made looking shredded pants with combat boots or skirts that looked like they were created from old unused curtains. She often had her hair pulled back with many variously colored clips and sometimes wore too many scarfs. Sometimes she talked on the phone in her language and sometimes she sounded angry, sometimes she laughed cheerfully. Sometimes she even spared him a glance.

Gansey was endlessly fascinated.

As was Ronan, who often snickered to himself whenever he accompanied Gansey to Adam's and watched him pine after this strange non-English speaking girl, and Noah, who took the opportunity to make fun of Gansey every time Blue was around. Gansey vehemently denied everything until he couldn't anymore, - and reluctantly admitted that he indeed found Blue quite beautiful and alluring.

Noah had laughed delightfully and Ronan had grinned smugly and Gansey had felt like he was somehow missing a key information here, but mostly he was just glad Blue couldn't understand a word they were saying.

That was last week and right after, he had decided to find a way to finally communicate with Blue. From Adam he'd found out that she was Korean and though he might not be able to hold a proper, deep conversation yet, Gansey feels fairly confident he can do small talk at least. And that's a start.

When the elevator arrives and Blue's nowhere in sight, Gansey realizes with disappointment that today's not going to be the day he finally talks to Blue. He steps into the elevator. Of course, what were the chances anyway, - but Gansey really felt confident this was his time. He tries not to let this small failure dampen his mood and focus on the possibilities that more practice could provide him, but then Blue appears in the hallway and motions for him to hold the elevator and an embarrassingly big smile immediately brightens his features as he reaches out to stop the doors from closing. Blue quickly slips inside and Gansey muses that it's even more perfect like this because the first time they met, he had to similarly hold the doors for her to reach the elevator in time.

None of the boys accompanied him today and Gansey is infinitely glad. This would be quite embarrassing otherwise - not that it would have stopped him from trying anyway.

He clears his throat and says, probably with really bad pronunciation, "Hi. I'm Gansey," and nervously waits for her reaction.

She looks so flabbergasted that his cheeks instantly redden. Besides shock, there's nothing else in her expression he can decipher - he's not sure if she's impressed or creeped out, if this is a positive reaction or a negative one. He can feel himself turning redder the more she stares and finally, he breaks eye contact, tugging on the collar of his polo shirt self-consciously.

This is when she speaks. "Hi. I'm Blue." She says her name in English. She still looks surprised but she's no longer staring at him as if he came from a different planet.

He smiles, relieved that she doesn't seem like she wants to run as far away from him as possible and wondering what else he could say with his finite knowledge of Korean. They're both going to the tenth floor but it's fast approaching and he has limited time to leave a good impression.

Looking at her, he suddenly realizes she's wearing her bee dress again. What a coincidence.

Gansey doesn't believe in coincidences.

He grins. "I like your dress." And despite his general distaste for bees, wasps and hornets alike, he's telling the truth.

Blue giggles, although he doesn't know if it's at his pronunciation or his appreciation for her clothing. "Thanks," she says and starts digging in her bag. It's floor seven and Gansey desperately wants to keep the conversation going but she's preoccupied with her handbag and he wonders if that's her polite way of telling him to leave her alone. Her amused smile did not spell out "leave me alone" earlier.

Blue finds what she was looking for, which is a piece of paper and a pen, and she hurriedly scribbles something across it that he can't see, then folds it and presses it into his palms. When she speaks, it's in English. "I do speak English, you know," she informs him with mirth. For a moment Gansey's too taken aback to hear her speak in English to register what this means. "Your friends were playing a prank on you."

Gansey remembers Noah's laugh and Ronan's grin and how he felt like he was missing the joke. He thinks about admitting that he found her fascinating and how Adam neither confirmed nor denied that she doesn't speak English and all the times Noah teased him about his crush.

His cheeks are flaming and he wants to disappear. Surely, she must think he's a fool. She's probably laughed at his expense as much as his friends have, and oh god, now she's smiling at him and it doesn't particularly look mocking but he can't really tell anymore. The elevator dings, the doors open and as Blue steps out, - Gansey forgets that this is his stop too - she tells him, "By the way, I think you're very handsome too."

The doors close and he's left standing there for several long moments before he thinks to open the piece of paper she gave him. A telephone number stares back at him with the caption: _"Next time ask before assuming."_


End file.
